Confessions of a gay Muslim Trump supporter

Why would an openly gay Muslim immigrant support Donald Trump? Political editor Dr Martin Hirst attempts in this, often shocking, online interview to find out.

I HAVE BEEN CURIOUS for some time about Trump supporters. We tend to stereotypically see them as being white, male redneck types, with a few women along for the ride. So, I was a bit surprised to find an openly gay, gun-loving Turkish migrant from a Muslim background who is a loyal and vocal fan of the newly-installed American president.

Ahmet Demirici (not his real name) has recently graduated with an MA in International Relations and is now looking for work. He is also considering joining the U.S. Army Reserve and says he is unfazed by Vice President Mike Pence’s public statement that homosexuality is incompatible with military service.

I have been in touch with Ahmet and he agreed to be interviewed for Independent Australia, with the stipulation that he use a pseudonym and is not identified in pictures. He is travelling back to Turkey soon and did not want his sexual identity or political activity to come to the attention of Turkish authorities.

Ahmet told me that his main media sources are the very pro-Trump Breitbart News, the Daily Caller, and Fox News. The only non-Trump media he checks out are the Russian network RT, CNN and, occasionally, Huffington Post.

Ahmet's voter ID — he's a registered Republican (Image: supplied)

IA: Please don't be offended but I'm really curious. Are you "out" with family & friends? You identify (somewhat) as Muslim, are you religious or observant!

Ahmet: Everyone in my family and friends know, because it's kind of obvious from my behaviour, but I keep it to myself and remain reserved. So, I'd say I am not publicly out.

I do not engage in most religious demands, like dietary restrictions, prayers and, obviously, sodomy (kind of out of my control). I just believe in and love God, and hope for salvation through good deeds.

I come from an Islamic background, yes, and my parents and entire family self-identify as Muslim, true. Yet, I'm not one to follow organised religion, especially not one that bans alcohol. So, I've been to mosques a few times in my life ... but mainly for free food. Turks tend to be pretty secular — that's one good attribute that sets us apart from the rest.

IA: Lovely, thanks, made me laugh about the sodomy bit.

Ahmet: Yeah, ha ha. I'd be thrown off a roof in any other Muslim country. Turkey's a lot more tolerant of sex.

IA: I see from your profile that you were at the Mall for the inauguration and loved Trump’s inaugural speech, can you tell me why?

Ahmet: There were several parts that were met with a roar from the crowd, such as the parts where he said "this day is about you", and "this election has transferred power from Washington back to you, the American people", as well as the part where he promised to eradicate Islamic terror from the face of the earth.

These parts sent chills down my spine. You could tell that, having won the national and electoral elections, he meant every word he said. But the part that affected me most was the one that brought tears to my eyes. After quoting the bible and mentioning that he'd do his best to protect us (he mentioned the military), he stated "we will be protected by God!".

Ahmet's comments on Facebook after hearing Trump's inauguration speech (Image: supplied)

This was just amazing, it was something that had never been said before. It was pure power. The confidence to say such a thing! The audacity! Whether someone believes in a religion or is an atheist, it's still hard to listen to that phrase without sensing the strength and power of the man who could make such a claim in front of the world. You could tell from his previous speeches that Trump is a dynamic man who is energetic and enthusiastic about making America great, yet now that the elections are far behind us, his words carry much more meaning.

IA: I can see that you're still a true believer, I'm curious how you reconcile that with the dissonance in the media over the inaugural numbers and [Trump Advisor] Kellyanne Conwaysaying that there are "alternative facts".

Ahmet: I'm a believer in the promises that Trump made. Even if he fails, I am confident that he will at least try to appoint a conservative SCOTUS [Supreme Court of the United States] nominee, cut taxes, make peace with Russia, protect our borders and bring back industry to save the working class people, etc, etc.

Seeing CNN's record, I find it hard to believe their claims and I'm sceptical of Kellyanne Conway as well. The inaugural numbers should be released by the agency that has them.

IA: How was DeploraBall? I'm sure you had a good time inside, tell me a bit about that and what it was like meeting your heroes and also how you coped with the protestors.

Ahmet: The entry to the DeploraBall was perhaps the first time I came in contact with the regressive left and it was very scary. There was also a lot of media photographing people as they approached the door and so I hid my face to avoid being recognised in the news (I had only realized that morning that the Deploraball had gained national coverage). I remember looking around me at the people waiting to get in, Asians, a few blacks, lots of older women and even men in military dress uniforms. I thought it was odd to see so many different people there, after the media made it seem like I was going to some NPI* conference.

The party was fun. The friendliness, the sense of accomplishment and achievement, the speeches and such, everything had a message of hope. There were lots of celebrities there. James O’Keefe** agreed to take a photo with me, shook my hand and asked me my name and how I was. I was honoured that he'd spend that time with me. I think he's a man who deserves being seen as a hero by both right and left, after all of his hard work.

I was really upset later on once I found out that the riots outside had escalated to violence.

Here is James Allsup, one of my friends who was outside the ball, who had been hit on his head from behind by protestors:

Ahmet's friend James Allsup, allegedly hit with a protestor's flag pole at the DeploraBall (Image: supplied)

Of course, he wasn't the only one to end up in the hospital.

The next two days in DC were a bit worrisome. We tried to stay in groups and avoided traveling alone. We also had another ball ("Millennials for Trump" or something like that) however the location of the ball was kept secret until like a few hours before the ball, to prevent protestors from showing up.

Graphic footage of Antifa attacking me from behind w/ flagpole. DC cop watches as I ID suspect and chooses to make no arrest. #TolerantLeft pic.twitter.com/0rPhB7iqM1
— James Allsup (@realJamesAllsup) January 25, 2017

IA: Can I ask you how it feels knowing Trump has placed a ban on Muslims that could affect the ability of your family members to travel into and around the US. How do you feel about the idea of a Muslim Registry?

Ahmet: I think it's a good start that should be expanded through time. I know a lot of people in [the alternative Muslim country of your choice] who should not be here. Because my family came here at great cost to escape Islamism, and I'm not going to sit here idly while the West becomes Islamised and turns into the very shithole we escaped thanks to liberals like you.

There are some Muslim countries that pose no threat, like Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Kyrgyzstan. They have little or no incidents of terror. We should not ban them.

But the ones that do carry high volumes of Islamists, like Turkey, the Chechnya and Dagestan regions, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, etc. etc., those doors should be shut until the region normalises.

I have no problem with immigration from stable non-Islamic parts of the planet. The East Asians are welcome to come and integrate. Europeans can come. Latinos can come. These people just need to come legally. That's all Trump says and I agree with him.

Ahmet meets a protestor in Washington during inauguration celebrations (Image: supplied)

Islam is an exception because they keep terrorising us. Of course, it's difficult to pick and choose. I'd be okay with just a general ban.

Yes, I hate Islamists

You can quote me on that too.

I. Hate. Muslims.

Islamists*

Oops lol. now the typo's gonna look real.

Anyways, I hate Islamists with a passion. I think the U.S. Government is justified in finding them and tracking them down.

IA: On LGBTI issues, Vice President Pence opposed efforts to widen hate crimes laws to include attacks on LGBT people. He tried to block Federal funding of HIV treatments unless they came with a requirement to advocate against gay relationships. Pence opposes non-straight people serving in the military. He has said that “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service because the presence of homosexuals in the ranks weakens unit cohesion”. Pence also says “the only truly safe sex … is no sex” and once (falsely) claimed on CNN that “condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases.”

Ahmet: We are already equal under the law. What right do white cis heterosexual men have that I don't? Perhaps you are not aware of the debate going on in the U.S., over forcing businesses to cater to LGBT people. I'd like you to consider watching Milo Yiannopoulos' visit to the pizza shop that was attacked by lesbians.

It was very sad, I felt very ashamed that such hate can come from people who only two years ago, chanted “Love wins,” while fighting for marriage rights. It's an important debate over freedoms. Other than that, I will have you know that the best men I've ever dated were white Republican men who know how to treat their man right [lol].

Donald Trump himself has said gay marriage is here to stay. What more must the man say? He is even in favour of tranny bathrooms, which is even too left for me.

I like men who shoot guns, ride trucks, wear jeans and flannel shirts, say words like “Y’all,” and such. Men who work out and get big and like camping and outdoor activities. I don't like twinkle-toe homos who drape themselves in rainbows and walk around half naked. Just turns out that most of the first type are Republicans and most of the second are Democrats. I've yet to meet a "big" Marxist. It's likely their inherent avoidance of hard work that keeps them from the gym [lol].

Now, gay rights is a right-wing cause here, because only the Right wants to protect us from Islamism and the left is obsessed with disarming us.

IA: Hitler's first pogroms were against Jews, but then gays, gypsies, trade unionists and others were also rounded up. If you think that’s not possible with Steve Bannonand his Brietbart cronies in the West Wing, you are delusional.

Ahmet: Breitbart is a Pro-Israeli paper. There's nothing that makes me laugh more than Bannon being accused of anti-Semitism. If you're going to fabricate a smear, at least make it something difficult to disprove [lol].

IA: I've seen the quotes Bannon has made about Jews, you think he was joking?

Ahmet: So what? Racial jokes are the funniest [lol]. He's done so much for Israel. Actions speak loudly.

@AliceRothchild @politico Meet Steve Bannon #Racist, #sexist, #anti-Semite #Nazi pic.twitter.com/fUboxr6ur7
— Mohsan_75 (@mohsan_75) January 26, 2017

IA: How do you feel about the executive order on defunding sexual health services that offer advice on abortions?

Ahmet: I don't really care about abortion. I think it's morally wrong and I would never want my family members to have them. But at the same time, I'm pro-choice, because it's all we have that keeps us Republicans the majority (Democrats/liberals make up 99% of abortions – probably – since conservatives and God-fearing folks would never break their morality and have an abortion, (except if their life is in danger). There are 1 million abortions every year in America. That's 1 million potential Democrats out of the picture.

Now, as I said, I don't care what other people do with their bodies. But what's shocking is the implication that the papers have (all white men in the room [when Trump signed the executive order, the "global gag rule"] is somehow bad). I find it racist and deplorable to consider their race and very sexist to suggest that men should not have a say in their children’s future.

In addition to this, Donald Trump is a pragmatic man who has chosen only the best for his cabinet, without considering race (in my opinion). Ben Carson (black) and Peter Thiel (gay), Nikki Haley (Indian) and Kellyanne Conway (female) are all examples of this merit-based diversity.

IA: How are you feeling about him not draining the swamp?

Ahmet: I don't really care about the economics or banks, to be honest. I am happy about the cabinet picks. Daddy won't let us down .

IA: Let's talk again later in the year, I'm keen to see where “y'all” will be at then.

Ahmet: Okay, we will see. How about after the state of the Union in December 2017?

The banner adorning Ahmet's Facebook page, Trump and family at watching the parade from the White House lawn (Image: supplied)

* NPI is Richard Spencer’s white nationalist National Policy Institute.

** James O’Keefe is a notorious Alt-Right figure behind the Project Veritas group which makes misleading pro-Trump propaganda. He was recently accused of paying people to join anti-Trump protests as part of an ongoing sting operation.

You can read more by IA's political editor Dr Martin Hirst on his blog Ethical Martini and follow him on Twitter @ethicalmartini.

The supreme leader of #Trumpistan is a babbling idiot.
Don't believe me?
Read this detailed word-4-word transcript. https://t.co/39WZCyreVO
— Ethical Martini Ph.D (@ethicalmartini) January 26, 2017